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Thanks Gary! Really appreciate your comment. Very much along the lines of what i've been thinking recently. I'm getting to that point where I'm getting a pretty angry. I did a lot of research looking for the right tarp and all i heard was great things about the Maccat line. People have mentioned that Brian can be a bit hard to get onto but i didn't realise that it would be this bad. Plus Brian and OES seem very well respected in the hammocking community and being new to the forums and hammock camping i didn't want to push any buttons so to speak, on how I'm starting to really feel about this situation. Some people have had great communication with Brian and others not so much. I'm a pretty patient bloke and i honestly would have understood if he was running behind schedule. But all he has to do is let me know. Maybe the package has been sent as i write this...? Who knows! ha. But as of right now i still have no idea what's going on. I am still looking forward to my tarp. I will still continue you try and contact him. And i guess all i can do is wait! The only problem is that next time i buy a tarp I may have to look at other options. Sorry if I'm sounding negative but this has been going on for over 2 months and 1 week! Thanks again Gary.

Hey Adam, yeah I know it's tough- I would be angry too! I would try PMing him via the forum.

I guess a lot of people have a soft spot for Brian as they have known him since he was in highschool and cranking out tarps- I think he's got a bit of a backlog since he has moved to a new demanding job and has many orders that got missed. That doesn't excuse his slack communication.
However he does have a bomb product and a long association with the hammocking world and this forum, which is why people speak about him in glowing terms. He's let himself down with the communication issue, I think.

PM him, try his email, and see what happens. He probably will have more time for OES stuff on the weekend. Hopefully he'll get back to you soon.

I know before I ever type a word I'm going to be the bad guy, having said that here goes. For those of you either in business or trying to be in business do everyone a favor and make a decision. I don't know why anyone should be made to feel bad that they bought and paid for something and didn't receive it and can't get a response. I'm a business owner and people expect me to communicate and follow thru or I'm out of business. It seems as thought Adam did his part, he ordered an item and PAID FOR IT and all he expected was some timely communication and the item/items he PAID FOR. Why would anyone do business with someone who is part time here and can't/won't communicate with someone that paid for an item? Does anyone here buy groceries at a store where you don't get all you paid for? Anyone have phone service that only works sometime? I went through something similar in February trying to purchase a tarp. One thing I have learned if you have to beg someone to sell you something don't expect things to get better if you have a problem. If you want to know what service is, buy something from Marty at WL. He doesn't just provide a quality product at a fair price he services his customer. You aren't just satisfied, your **** glad you did business with him, as it should be. And just a closing thought, when it's not your money or your merchandise one might think twice before criticizing someone that has does everything right and just wants his stuff. Wow I sure feel better.

Originally Posted by Adam

Thanks Gary! Really appreciate your comment. Very much along the lines of what i've been thinking recently. I'm getting to that point where I'm getting a pretty angry. I did a lot of research looking for the right tarp and all i heard was great things about the Maccat line. People have mentioned that Brian can be a bit hard to get onto but i didn't realise that it would be this bad. Plus Brian and OES seem very well respected in the hammocking community and being new to the forums and hammock camping i didn't want to push any buttons so to speak, on how I'm starting to really feel about this situation. Some people have had great communication with Brian and others not so much. I'm a pretty patient bloke and i honestly would have understood if he was running behind schedule. But all he has to do is let me know. Maybe the package has been sent as i write this...? Who knows! ha. But as of right now i still have no idea what's going on. I am still looking forward to my tarp. I will still continue you try and contact him. And i guess all i can do is wait! The only problem is that next time i buy a tarp I may have to look at other options. Sorry if I'm sounding negative but this has been going on for over 2 months and 1 week! Thanks again Gary.

I don't normally get in these conversations as i've seen it all before. Gary ; i want you to know i fully agree with you,your not the only one who feels that way,,,,and Adam i'm sorry your in this situation. You are definitely not the first as when i joined in 09 people were complaining then. I had a huge screwup with my order a couple of years ago and no communication but Brian did compensate in the end. OES tarps are very good tarps and Brian does a very good job but their not the only tarps around. I hope you get your tarp soon .

bill

" The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it."

“The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away.” ~Wayne Dyer

This situation is tough because the tarps are such great quality but there's just no customer service. Brian should just update his page to let people know OES is a hobby, and not a fully functioning company.

I now have two OES tarps, both purchases second hand on the forums because he never responded to a single message I sent him (e-mail or pm) but I really love the tarps. It's tough.

Offer to buy with a down payment, with some expected delivery date, balance to be paid at completion, just prior to shipping.

I'm pleased that Dream-Hammock.com has adopted what will become, I hope, a "when-will-the-bus-I'm-waiting-for"? chart at his web-page. Sets a standard for custom work, and could be yet more informative with another column of expected delivery date. Proprietor doesn't have to stop sewing (or hiring) in order to answer calls and emails about status. The home page tells customers to expect a six week delay.

In another Forum where anxiety about unstated and variable delivery times are also a concern, an HF member points out that he knows the variability across vendors. JacksRBetter.com maintains inventory of most of its products and ships within a day unless the item is out-of-stock. No drama, no suspense.

Guys I don't think this needs to be a pile on- I'm sure Brian would appreciate being able to get tarps made and shipped rather than dealing with PR problems on the forums.

Dealing with PR problems is part of a business. I don't think that anyone is being unfair with their criticism. If you want to run an online business, your reputation is very important. Repeatedly being late with orders, as well as not communicating with your customers is bad business, plain and simple. I appreciate Brian's craftsmanship, and I LOVE the tarp that he made for me. That being said, the tarp took around two months until it was delivered, and I've seen multiple complaints from other customers, of where it took 3+ months, without answering emails, or messages via HammockForums.

I'm not trying to "pile on" criticism, I just don't think that making a great product can overshadow poor customer service. I make 100% of my income from online sales, and I know that "PR problems" are half of running a business; I'm sure that you wouldn't be happy sitting at a table for 45 minutes waiting for you server to take your order, just because the entree was delicious.